Apparatus for hot-air heating systems



J1me 2Q, 1950 w. w. HALLINAN 295129425 APPARATUS FOR HOT AIR HEATING SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 29. 1945 Patented June 20, 1950* APPARATUS FOR HOT-AIR I SYSTEMS? EAEWG William w. Hallinan, fiftieth; Wis. Application octbbr' 29, 1 if ser al "1310'; 625.296

The present invention relates j to a' change I speed device which is particularly adapted to be used in connection with a hot air heating system. Where hot air heating systems arej used in residences and a blower is utilized in connection" with the system, and is operatedintermittently, the control for the motor is" usually 10- cated in one of the rooms; and hence the temperature of the air in the other rooms is not directly reflected in the control or operation of v the blower;

One of the objects of the present invention is r the provision of an improved device "which will tions in the temperature of air impressed 'upon the presentdevice.

Another obj eat of the i ventions the provision of an improved device of the class described which is adapted to be attached asaun'it to existing structures, such as a driving motor provided with a belt driven blower'gused in'con'nection with theoperation of a hot air heatingsyistem, so that the system can be changed over of the system. 1 e

Another object of the invention-is theprovision of an improved change speeddevi'ce of the without extensive modifications in the structure class described which may be interposed between i the blower and its driving motorfand which "is operated by a thermally responsive device that is interposed in the path of a current of air'surrounding the device, so that the present change speed device is operated responsive to the 'tem-- perature of the air passing over it. e

Another object ojthe invention is the provision of an improvedtemperature responsive variable speed pulley which is an improvement over the variable speed pulleys covered by my prior Patents Nos. 2,210,976, filed March 15, 1938, issued August 13, 1940, on Variable Speed Pulleys; and 2,308,655, filed January 13, ,1940, issued January 19, 1M3, on VariableSpeed Pulleys.

As stated in my above PatentNo. 2,308,655

page 6, Column 2, lines 44 to 48, my thermostatically controlled pulley is adapted to be used either as the driving or the driven member, and

its thermostatic element may be. so arranged that it increases the diameter or decreases the diameter upon increase of temperature.

As the motors which drive the blowers in heating systems usually operate at a greater speed thanthe blowers, and'thus the motors usuallyare provided with a smaller pulley, while the blower 2 claims; (clipeach) i rhas'a larger pulley, I prefer to use my variable speed pulley 'as the driving member, as it is thus adapted .to: exert aw'ider control of the speed. s-When'the variablesp'eed pulley is used as the driving member, it may be made more compact andrsimple in construction; and when its pulley is so made that it increases in diameter with in- "crease.iiiftemper'ature, the variable speed pulley may be made to increase the delivery of air driven 10 by the blower with an increase in temperature, thustavoiding the'cold drafts that would result if thex.blowe'r were driven faster when the air was "'c'older.

'lzOne 'ofathe objects of. the present invention is :theyprovision of an improved thermostatically controlled. variable speed pulley which is adapted toibesi-nstalled :as a-unit, and which is provided withav means formaintaining the circulation of laiityaround the thermal unit at all times, to assure the immediate responsiveness of the device to'theair in the-duct'within which it 'is'placed. ;:Anotherobject 'of the inventioniis to provide "an-improved thermally responsive change'speed ezdevi'ce which will react tosmallvariations in the temperature with a high degree of accuracy, and this is preferably accomplished by: mounting the temperature responsive device directly on a rota-rypart. of. a change speed unit in the path of a --:'moving current 'ofair flowingin the conduit in *:Whi0h the device is located.- v

Other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the folowing descripw tion and -the accompanying drawings, in which "'sim-ilarpharacters of reference indicate similar 'parts throughout the, several views.

h Referring to the single sheet'of drawings,

;Fig'. 1: is aiview in perspective'jof the driving motor for the blower of a heating system-equipped with a variable speed pulley embodying myin- Eig.-.- 2.;isa fragmentary. transverse sectional ,cview taken on aplane passingthrough the axis nof themotor, :withcertain of the parts shown in elevation, and with the variable speed pulley in aposition'of relatively small diameter;

- 3 isa fragmentary sectional view similar o I' i g 2, .sh0Wi l the variable speed pulley in a ."ipositionof maximum diameter; t

' Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the relatively ,movable section ofthe variable'speed pulley;

' f jrievv in perspective ofthe relatively I tionof the variable speed pulley; and

r is a fragmentarysectional view showing gthefattachxnentof the centrifugal blades to the cha'nge speed pulley 20 The present variable speed pulley may be utilized in any of the heating systems illustrated in any of my prior patents, and in particular reference is made to the heating system shown in Fig. 1 of my Patent No. 2,308,655 and the heating system shown in Fig. 5 of my Patent No. 2,210,976. In the former, the pulley and blower are located in one of the cold air return ducts of the furnace,'but the pulley is'operated responsive to the temperature of air which is delivered to the thermostatic element of the pulley by a conduit from the top of the plenum cham-' ber of the furnace.

In either case the present device is provided with a substantially constant speed motor l1,

which is adapted to drive the blower of the 'heating system. The change speed device is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 25, and it is engaged by a suitable driving belt 26 of'the V type, which connects the driving pulley with the driven pulley (not shown) on the blower.

In order to takeup'or'permit the increase or decrease in slack of the'belt 25, the motor may be mounted 'pivotally, as shownin my prior patent,

No;- 2,308,'655, so that movement of'the motor takes up the slack, or thed'riven pulley may inclu'de a pair of spring pressed discs of the type shown in Fig. 3 of my Patent No. 2,289,287, issued July '7, 1942, on heating systems, filed October 16,1939; 1.

The change speed device is controlled by a thermal unit hereinafter to be 'described, which varies the speed of the blower in accordance with the change intemperature' of the air to which the thermal unit is' subjected. While the'arrangement'ma'y beeith'erfonthe spe'ed'of the blower to be increased by increase of temperature or by decrease of 'tempera'ture of the air' by merely changing the direction of movement of thesliding pulley sections, as described inmy priorpatent, No. 2,308,655 (page 6, column 2, lines 43 to 48,inclusive). I prefertoarrange the parts so that an increase of'temper'ature of the" air on the thermo'st atic unitincreases' the effective diameter of the'pulley and the speed of rotation of the blower; i

Thus the device is provided with a thermostat, indicated by the numeral 46', which is controlled bythe' temperature of the air to which it is subjected, to vary theeffective'diameter of the "The driving shaft of'the motor is indicatedby the numeral l8; and it is adapted to receive apair of 'pulleysections, indicated by the-numerals 2| and 22. Thepulleysection 2|"co'mprises a'substantially cylindrical hub 34; whichis provided with a radially extending pulley flange 30, havingafrusto-co'nical' surface 24:

Thepulleys'e'ction 2| comprises a relatively fixed section of the pulley, and it is provided vvith a'bore' l9 forreceivi'rig the shaft '|8, to' which it is secured by anysuitable fasteningmeans, such as "a set screw 3?, preferably of the s' cket type, threaded in a bore in the hub 34-.

The movable'pulley section 22 is likewiseprovided with a substantially cylindrical .hub 21, having "a'c'ylindrical bore 22, forslidably receiving the external cylindrical surface on the hub 34 of the fixedsection-H. V a

The hub 21 of the movable pulleysection 22 is also provided with a radially extending pulley flange 3|, having a beveled surface :32 located oppositelyto'the surface 24 to form a Y-shaped groove or slot for driving the driving belt Thus the pulley flange 3| is mounted for axial movement relative to the pulley flange 30.

Referring to Fig. 5, this shows in perspective the construction of the fixed pulley section 2|, with its flange 32 and frusto-conical surface 24 carried by hub 24. The hub 34 is purposely elongated over the length of the hub 21, shown in Fig. 4, on the movable pulley section 22, with its pulley flange 3|, the frusto-conical surface 32 of which is on the side not shown.

The purpose for making the hub 34 longer than the hub 27 is in order to permit the movable section 22 a sufficient range of sliding movement on the fixed section 2|. The movable section 22 is preferably splined with respect to the fixed section 2| to prevent relative rotation between these two parts of the pulley, and this may be accomplished by' providing the hub 21 with a diametrically extending transverse bar 31 located on its left face in Fig. 4 and adapted to be received in-aslot 3B; which extends axially and diametrically acrossthe hub-34 over a portion of its length. The bar 31' is preferably rectangular in cross section and is complementary in shape to that of :the slot 38, within which it slides when the hub 21' is-on' the hub 34. In addition to preventing relative rotation between the pulley sections 2| and-"22, the transverse splined bar 31 also serves to provide engagement between the movable pulley section and a stub shaft or other part which is actuated by the thermostat 46.

The section 2| of the pulley preferably has its hub 34 provided with a-threadedportion 39, which is adapted 'to be engaged in the threaded bore 40 of a'skirt portion 42 of a frame 4| for supporting the thermostat 45:

It is necessary that the thermostat 46 be supported upon one of the pulley elements 2| or 22in order that it may react against the other of the pulley elements 2| or 22; and in some embodiments of the invention the movable-pulley section 22 may have its hub 2'! threaded to receive the skirt 42 :of the frame 4|, in which case the thermostat 46 would react against the fixed pulley section 2| at the end of its hub 34.

- The frame 4| in the present embodiment is preferably provided with a pair of legs 42a, 42b,

which extend axially and parallel to each other and which are joined by the diametrically and transversely extending yoke 41, which has a, centrally located threaded bore 48.

Between the skirt 42, yoke 41 and legs 42a and 42b, there is a substantially rectangular opening 49, which is adapted to receive the thermostatic element 45. The bore 48 of yoke 41 is preferably provided with a threaded screw bolt 44 having a slot forengagement with a screw driver and havingat its inner end a socket 43 for receiving 'a-centrally located lug 59', which is carried by the end of the thermostatic element prises a pair of end plates 53, 54, each of which is substantiallycircular and is provided with a tapering edge for receiving the resilient and flexible bellows 55. The bellows 55 comprises a corrugated, substantially cyindrical, resilient and flexible metal member, which is expansible ,in an axial direction upon exertion of pressure inside the thermostatic element 46, and the bel- "garages lows 55 has a fluid-tightconnection-'-with"the plates 53 and54 by having'the endmost flanges 56 and 5l fo'ldedoverthe' edges of the discs 53 and 54 and soldered, brazed orotherwisesecured together. a

In the preferred embodiment of the invention I have used Freon gas (F-ll) oirair conditioning blower installations, operating on anormal-bonnet temperature of from r 100 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range might be changed, depending upon the furnace design, and in such case one of the'other'refrigerants mentioned would be used. Suflicient refrigerant may be used in the bellows, so that'at the top of a certain range of temperatures all of the refrigerant will be vaporized so that additional heat will not produce. any further pressure tending to disrupt the bellows after the pulley has been actuated by the bellows. f 4

In some embodiments of the invention the natural resiliency of the bellows 55 may be such as to assist the action of the fluid inside the bellows 55 and urge the plates 53, 54 apart:

The thermostatic container 46, which is formed by the end plates 53, 54 and bellows-.55isxpreferably filled with alimited amount of volatile liquid of suitable characteristics so that it is changed from liquid to gas at asuitabletemperature to elfectthe expansion of the thermostatic element 45, and theamount of this liquid is limited so-that when ithas all changed to gas further expansion of the gas takesfplace only responsive tosuperheating of the gas 'Ihisgives the thermostat a proportional increasein pressure and expansive, power while the liquidexpansive element is being vaporized; which responsive action continues until all of the liquid is vaporized, whereupon the curve of; pressure flattens out 'so that the further increaseof pressure by superheating is 'substantiallyjjreduced over that which is accomplished while the gas is being vaporized. H

Thus the thermostat may act between predetermined temperature limits by choosing a, proper expansive element for fillingthe bellows '55. Suitable chemical compositions may ,bejused, such as ethyl chloride, methyl chloride; alcohol, and ethyl ether.

The end wall 54 of the. thermostatic element 46 may be provided with an axially extending filling tube 66, which has a longitu'dinally"extending filling bore 6'! that is "closed by solder 68 at its end. This tube 65 is "adapted'to be 'received in an axial bore 69 in a stub shaft 52, which has one end reacting against the plate'54 and the other end reacting against the crossbar 31 of the removable pulley section 22.; A washer 5! may be interposed between."the

end of the shaft 52 and the plate 54 to increase,

the area of engagement. The bore 519 merely houses the tube 66, the end 58 0f which does not engage the end of bore 69, but tube 56 serves to guide and supportone end of thermostatic element 4 in the bore 69 of the shaft 52;

The shaft 52 is also supported forsliding movepulley unit. Y

right and engagement by the end or the hub =21 with the end of the skirt. n

This may be adjusted bythreading the skirt 4-2 on the threaded portion 39 to the position deadjusts the maximum opening-movement of the groove of the pulley by limiting the range of sliding movement of the hub 21 on-the hub. 34.

---In-'order to subjectthe thermostatic element '46 constantly 'to-the temperature of air passing over it-wherever -it may be located in an air duct or the like, the unit is preferably providedwith a centrifugal fan, indicated in its numeral 69.--- 3 Thiscentrifug-alfan-comprises a'pair of flat annular metal members 5|, BL-which form the entirety by the end wallsofarotor; The annular metal members 5i, (Si-have circular apertures 64, but-the aperture EM -at the right-of Fig, 2 is closed by-a supporting plate-'62 of circular shape,-which has a central aperture of sufficient size to receive the hub 21; i

The plate 62 is secured to the radially-extending flange 3|:by a plurality of-screw' bolts 1| passing through apertures in the plate 62 and threaded into bores in' the flange 3|: Thus the fan rotor fill-"is concentrically located on the movable pulley section 2'! to rotate with the The annular members 6| of-ithe rptorare secured together by a'pluralityof axiallyextending I blades 63, these blades 'being located in slots in the annular members 6| and being spot welded in place, as shown in Fig. 6. The blades 63 are preferably curved outwardly and backwardly away. from the direction in which the rotor 59 rotates so that they tend to urge the air outwardly between the" blades as the fan rotates. Thus the air comes'in at the opening 64 at the'left of the rotorfan'd passes out between the blades 63 of the rotor? The operation of the device is as follows: The resilient expanding action of the bellows urges the pulley sections 2|" and 22 toward each other in the following'manner: The frame 4| is supported upon the fixed threaded end 39 of the fixed pulleysection 2!.

The thermostat 46 reacts against the leftend of the frame and urges the shaft'toward' the right.

' The shaft "-52 engages that portion of cross bar 31 which is located in counterbore 52a and urges M themoveable pulley section 22 toward the right to the position of Fig. 3.

This movement isresistedby the action of the belt 26' and by the tightening action of the belt tightener, such as the motor being pivoted to bring its :weight'to bear upon the belt 25. Thus the belt 26 tends to wedge into the groove between thefsurfaces 24...and 32 andto'spread the, pulley -able temperature, its thermally exp'ansible elesections 2|, 22 -.to.a positionwhere, the effective pulley .is reduced,.as shown in When the-thermostat 46 is subjected to a suitment begins to vaporize, to generate a pressure which reacts against the frame 4 I supported by the fixed pulley section 2! and-presses against themovable section- 22' by meansof the shaft 52 and the bar 31 to urge the pulley sections together toward the position of Fig. 3.

The movement of the pulley sections can be made substantially proportional to the increase in temperature over a predetermined range until substantially all of the expansible liquid element in the thermostat 46 has been vaporized.

Thus the effective diameter of the pulley 25 may be varied uniformly with temperature over a predetermined range and the speed of rotation of the blower driven by belt 26 may be made substantial-ly proportional to the change of temperature.

The foregoing arrangement is effective to permit the use of a constantly operating motor and to effect the variable operation of a blower consequent upon variations of temperature in a return air duct inwhich the thermostat 45 is located; V

The present device may b installed in the cold air return-of a furnace, responsive to the temperature of air which is conducted to the thermostat 46 by a pipe from the top of the furnace bonnet so that increase of temperature causes an increase in the speed of drive of the blower; or the present device may be used in many other different ways to control the speed of drive of a blower or other driven member responsive to temperature. y

The centrifugal fan Ell constantly draws air in at the aperture 64 and expels it between the blades of the rotor sothat the air passes constantly over and around the thermostat 46 and the thermostat is constantly and quickly responsive to changes in temperature. a The present device is compact and simple and may be inc'iunted as a unitary structure upon the shaft of a driving motor to be located within the return air duct leading to a warm air heating furnace. V

The thermostatic element is concentrically loc-ated with respect to the shaft, and it rotates with the pulley and with the fan that draws air over the thermostatic lement. Thus the present device is adapted to draw to itthe air to which the thermostat is responsive, and it is adapted to react to small variations in temperature with a high degree of accuracy.

The thermally responsive member 46 is interconnected with the members of the pulley by being supported by a frame which is fixedly secured on the fixed pulley unit and by engaging a shaft which acts against a part carried by the movable pulley unit, so that the thermally responsive unit moves the pulley members axially with respect to each other to control the effective diameter of the pulley. u I

One of the most important advantages of the invention lies in its adaptability to various existing installations in that the attached fan is adapted to cause the device to draw to the thermostat, the sample of air required for its regulation. There are many installations where the motor is located outside the furnace or return air ducts where such a device can be used as the suction generated by the attached fan will pull its own sample of air over the thermostat,

While I have illustrated a, preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from th spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I 8 claim; as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a thermostatically controlled variable diameter pulley, the combination of a fixed pulley section provided with an elongated hub having a bore for receiving a shaft, said hub carrying a radially extending flange provided with a frusto-conical surface forming one side of a V groove with a movable pulley section comprising a cylindrical body formed with an enlarged borefor slidably receiving said hub, and with a radially extending flange having an opposing frusto-conical surface forming the other side of the V groove, said movable pulley section having a transversely extending actuating bar, and said fixed pulley section having a threaded extension provided with a slot for receiving said bar, a thermostat supporting frame of substantially rectangular shape having a central opening for receiving a bellows thermostat, said frame having a threaded bore at one end for threadedly receiving the extension of the fixed pulley section, the opposite end of said frame being provided with a threaded bore and an adjustable threaded member in said bore having a socket, a bellows thermostat having a projection at one end receivable in said socket, and having at its other end a cylindrical metal member receivable in the bore in said hub, said cylindrical metal member engaging said transverse bar to urge the pulley sections toward each other when the thermostat expands, the thermostat being spread by a V belt acting between the walls of said V- shaped groove, the radial flange of saidmovable pulley section supporting an annular plate, and a centrifugal impeller member comprising a pair of annular sheet metal members and joined together by a plurality of spaced axially extending curved vanes, said impeller being carried by said first-mentioned annular flange, and said impeller drawing air toward said thermostat and discharging the air at its periphery,

2. In a unitary thermostatically controlled variable diameter pulley, the combination of a pulley section having an elongated cylindrical hub provided with an axial bore, and means for securing a shaft in said bore, said hub carrying a frusto-conical flange forming one side of a pulley for a V belt, said hub having a diametrical slot extending into its end opposite from the flange and having a threaded end portion, with a second pulley section comprising a relat'ivelyshorter cylindrical hub having an axial bore for receiving the first-mentioned hub and having at one end a frusto-conical flange forming the opposite side of a pulley for a V belt, said movable pulley section having an integral diametrically extending bar at the end opposite to the flange, and said bar being slidably mounted in said slot to prevent relative rotation between the pulley sections, a thermostat frame comprising a substantially cylindrical body provided with a threaded bore and a counterbore with an annular shoulder between said bores, said threaded bore receiving the threaded end of said first-mentioned hub, said thermostat body supporting a pair of axially extending side frame members which carry a transversely extending end frame member, said end frame member having a threaded bore, a thermostat supporting member in said latter bore, and a bellows thermostat having an axially extending lug seated in said threaded member, said thermostat being provided at its opposite and filling end with an elongated filling tube, a combined push rod and housing for the filling tube comprising a cylindrical metal member slidably mounted in a counterbore in said first-mentioned hub and engaging with its end against said bar, said thermostat resisting alone the thrust on the movable pulley section caused by a V belt between said frusto-conical flanges, and an impeller comprising a circular disc provided with a central hole for receiving the second-mentioned hub, said circular disc being secured to the secondmentioned frusto-conical flange on the side opposite to the V groove, and a pair of annular sheet metal members joined together by curved vanes which pass through slots in said annular metal members and are bent over outside of said annular metal members, the vanes being curved outwardly and backwardly away from the direction in which the pulley rotates, one of said annular metal members being secured to said disc, thereby closing one end of the vane assembly,

the vanes acting to impel the air radially outward as the pulley rotates, and to draw it inward past said thermostat at the end remote REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,629,174 Patton May 17, 1927 1,662,289 Whitehead Mar. 13, 1928 20 2,210,976 Hallinan Aug. 13, 1940 

